Typographical composing machine



Jan. 26, 1954 J. H. HILPMAN TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 7, 1950 INVENTOR (fob/2 ,sz mam ATTORNEYS Jan. 26, 1954 J. H. HILPMAN TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 7, 1950 INVENTOR (lo/m 19/10/224 Wag 0 Z Jan. 26, 1954 HILPMAN 2,667,265

TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Filed Sept. '7, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTO/P U1 (fob/7 15 17/40 17 H: ISQI B) C 4 M 9 aw NJ A TOP 5Y3 Jan. 26, 1954 J. H. HILPMAN 5 TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE Filed Sept. 7, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan. 26, 1954 J. H. HILPMAN TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Se t. 7, 1950 5 NM PF W? H e l 2 d Jan. 26, 1954 J. H. HILPMAN TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 7, 1950 Patented Jan. 26, 1954 TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSIN MACHINE John HZ Hilpman, SpringfieldGardens,.N..Y.,.ase-

signor' to Mergenthaler Linotype Company, a

corporationofNew York Application September 7, 1950, Serial No. 1833620.

Claims.

This invention. relates to. typographical com-- posing machinessuch'as Linotype machines of the general organization. represented in Letters- Patent of the United States to O. Mergenthaler, No. 436,532, wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine in the. order in which their characters areto appear. in print, the composed line transferred to the face of a mold, the

mold filled. with molten. metal to form a slug or linotype against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon, and the matrices thereafter returned through distributing mechanism to the magazine from which they started.

More particularly, it relates to that class of mixing machinesdesigned to handle matrix fonts which dilier. from one another in the size and nirnber of characters, for example, the regular ninety character text fonts used exclusively for the. composition of straight matter, and the special seventy-two character-fonts used for the composition of head letter or display matter.

The matrix storage magazines employed in machines of this class are of standard size and shape (although certain features of the present invention. are particularly applicable to magazine of the wide variety), but differ in the number and arrangement of their matrix channels, the regular magazines being provided with ninety-one channels spacedapartin the usual way toaccom modate the matrix columns of the text fonts,

while the display magazines are provided with but seventy-three channels spaced apart in a different way to accommodate the matrix columns of the larger special fonts. The magazines are arranged in superposed pairs, each pair comprising a ninety character magazine and a seventy-two character magazine, and the matrices storedv therein can: be selectively released from either by the operation of the same keyboard and without the necessity of raising or lowering the magazines. Moreover, after the casting operation has been completed the matrices are automatically returned and redistributed into the proper channels of the magazine from which they were released.

In view of the fact that a Single keyboard is employed to efiect the release of the matrices from two separate magazines having different numbers and spacings of matrix escapement devices, it has been customary to provide separate groups of connecting devices in the form of long reeds as the means for mechanically connecting the keyboard to the magazine escapements, one group of said reeds serving to operate the ninety character magazine escapements and the other group serving to operate the seventy-two character magazine escapements; 'In' addition, a

movable throat section is generally provided,,ca.-.. I

pable of adjustmentsoas to. conduct matrices from eitheradjacent magazine into a channeled.

raceway or front platev common toboth magazines. ing the throat section into registry. with theselected magazine and for automatically connect:-

ing the appropriate group of reeds have-been, heretofore disclcsed,one of the, more recentdis closures being described in U. S.. Patent, to Frolander No. 2,399,999. The shifting. mecha.--. nism therein described is. power operated: and,

key controlled, efiecting the-shift otthe movablethroat section as well as theshift of a bank 01 horizontally disposed levers to. establish through: the levers an operative-connection: between either set of the long reeds (which are nons'hiftable) and the keyboard. While thisshifting mecha nism has functioned satisfactorily in actual'practice, the parts are of a rather complicated nature, being costly to manufacture. and assemble.

as well as costly and time consuming. to repair;

The present invention is directed toward a;

greatly simplified and improved shifting mecha nism which may be instantly operated. to effect. the corresponding adjustments of the movablethroat section and the keyboard connections.- In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the. two! groups of long connecting reeds are mounted in a frame which is hinged at'the top, permitting the lower ends of either group to be selectively brought into operative alignment with the key-= board elements. This improvement makes; possible the elimination of the entire bank of hori-.-.

zontally disposed levers mentioned above.

The invention also includes a new and improved arrangement of the connecting reeds to enable astandard width keyboard to be used in. association with magazines of much greater than standard width.

Other improvements will be described in the.

detailed description following.

The accompanying drawings show the inven tion-in preferred form and as applicable. to; a:- machine. of a particular, class, but it is applica:-.- ble as well to other machines, such as, for except insofar as such limitations arespecified.

the claims.

Various shifting mechanisms for adjusts Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the arrangement of the long connecting reeds and the shiftable frame thereof;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the arrangement of the long connecting reeds in greater detail;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front elevation, showing the operation of one of the connecting reeds;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale, showing the locking means for the adjustable throat section and the parts associated therewith;

Fig.9 is a view similar to Fig. '7, but showing the parts in a different adjusted position; and

Fig. 9 is a to plan view of the parts shown in Fig. '7. V

As shown in Fig. 1 the machine is equipped with four superposed magazines A A A and A capable of being raised and lowered in the machine frame by operation of a crank handle B in order to bring either the upper or lower pair of magazines into operative relation with the assembler entrance C and the distributing mechanism (not shown) The second and fourth magazines A and A are of the regular or standard form and adapted to contain the ordinary ninety character text fonts, whereas the first and third magazines A and A are of a different form and adapted to contain the special seventy-two character display fonts.

The assembler entrance C includes an upper throat section C to cooperate with the magazine A or A a lower partitioned bridge member C to cooperate with the magazine A or A and an adjustable throat section C to cooperate with either the throat section C or the bridge member C The throat section C is hingedly mounted in the front side brackets O of the machine frame and may be swung forwardly when desired for access to the magazines; and the adjustable throat section C is fastened to a horizontal rock shaft C likewise journaled in the front side brackets O and provided with a crank arm C operable to swing the throat section forwardly and backwardly in effecting its adjustments. An overhead banking screw U (see Figs. 2 and 7), secured to the side plate of the machine frame and arranged to engage the upper edge of the crank arm C locates the throat section C in its forwardly adjusted position, i. e. in registry with the lower end of the throat section C while a similar screw U (see Fig. '7), also secured to the side plate 0 and arranged to engage the under edge of the crank arm 0 locates the throat section C in its rearwardly adjusted position, i. e. in registry with the bridge member C In either of its adjusted positions, the throat section C is adapted to conduct the matrices released from the selected magazine into a fixed vertically disposed channeled raceway C from which the matrices are directed to the assembler proper for composition in line. 1

Each of the several magazines is provided with matrix releasing escapements a; and the actuating devices therefore include, generally, a series of fore-and-aft pivoted levers D, a corresponding series of actuating slides D carried by the throat 4 section C and a series of small actuating elements D mounted in the throat section C and operable by the slides D The levers D are controlled from a keyboard E through the medium of two sets of vertical reeds D D which will be described in detail below.

The adjustment of the throat section C into either of its alternate positions is made by a hand lever F which, as shown in Fig. 3, is attached to one end of a short shaft F mounted in the front bracket 0 of the machine frame. At the opposite end of the shaft F 2. small rocker arm F is attached and connected to a bell crank F by means of a link F The bell crank F is fast to a short rock shaft F and the horizontally disposed arm thereof is pivotally connected to a long rod F? which extends vertically upward and is loosely connected to the crank arm C by means of a pivot pin F projecting into an elongated slot formed in the arm. The pin F is carried by a lever F which is'pivotally mounted on the shaft C for the crank arm C Reference is now directed to Figs. 1, 2, '7, 8 and 9 which illustrate the conventional locking mechanism for locking the throat section C in its different adjusted positions and for releasing it preparatory to its adjustments. Such means includes a vertically disposed latch element G centrally pivoted to a small bracket G and controlled by the operation of the lever E, which, for this purpose, is equipped with an antifriction roller F arranged to engage the upper and lower beveled or cam surfaces G G and (3 G formed on the front edge of the latch element G. The bracket G is secured to the side plate 0 by means of the bracket 0 and is designed to house a pair of spring plungers G G whose stem portions project a limited distance through the front wall of the bracket and engage the rear edge of the latch element G at points above and below the pivotal axis. .The plungers G G will thus sustain the latch element in its vertical position (Fig. '7) but will permit the upper and lower portions thereof to yield rearwardly in opposition to the plungers when the lever F is operated in order to carry a pair of banking studs G, G out of the path of a hardened block C protruding from the free end of the crank arm C The studs G8 and G are mounted transversely in lateral projecting ears G of the latch element G and are adapted to engage the block C and lock the crank arm C in the different adjusted positions of the throat section C The operation of the parts is ubstantially the same as described in the Frolander Patent No. 2,399,999.

As explained hereinabove, separate sets of vertical reeds D D are provided for actuating the fore-and-aft levers D, the reeds D being the operative set to release the matrices from the upper operative magazine A when the throat section C is in its forward position in registry with the lower end of the throat section C (Fig. 2) and the reeds D being the operative set to release the matrices from the. lower operative magazine A when the throat section C is in its rearward position in registry with the bridge member C (Fig. 1). Both sets of reeds D D are slidably supported in an adjustable frame J through slots in the lower L-shaped plates J J and the upper flat plates J J Also the reeds situated at the left hand side of the machine are given additional support and guidance by the slotted brace R (Fig. 4).

The reed frame J is hinged. at the top. in end supports J attached to the side plates 0 of the machine frame, in such a way that the entire frame can be swung to bring the lower ends of either set of reeds D D into alignment with a single set of actuators E operated from the keyboard E while maintaining the upper ends of the reeds of both sets in engaging relation to the overlying levers D. Both sets of reeds D D are provided at their lower ends with shoulders adapted to bank on a supporting bar J carried by the reed frame (see Figs. 4 to 6).

The shifting of the reed frame J, like the shifting of the throat section C is accomplished under the control of the hand lever F. A lever J is fixed to the short rock shaft F and a lever J is likewise fixed to a second long rock shaft J the latter extending across the entire width of the reed frame (Fig. 3). The levers J and J are pivotally connected by a link J and hence the shaft J may be rocked in either direction under the control of the hand lever F. Also fixed to the shaft J are two further levers J pivotally connected by links J to the lower end of the reed frame J near its opposite edges. It is, therefore, clear that when the hand lever F is raised to bring the throat section C into registry with the throat section C the reed frame J will at the same time be pivoted in its supporting bearings J to bring the set of reeds D into operative alignment with the keyboard actuators E (Fig. 2). Likewise, when the hand lever F is depressed to adjust the throat section (3 into registry with the bridge member C the reed frame will again be pivoted in its supporting hearings to bring the set of reeds D into operative association with the key controlled actuators E (Fig. 1).

In order to lighten the burden of operating the hand lever F and, particularly, to counterbalance the weight of the adjustable throat section C a weight C is pivotally suspended from the bracket by means of the lever C which is pivotally connected to the lowermost extremity of the crank arm C by a connecting link 0 The lever C is provided with a screw extension C to which the weight C is threadably connected so that the counterbalancing force can be varied to meet different conditions.

One further feature requires additional explanation. When magazines of the wide variety are employed, the width of the lower discharge end thereof is much greater than the width of the I keyboard E, generally protruding to the right of and beyond said keyboard. As shown in Fig. 4, many of the reeds D D at the right hand side of the machine are bent laterally to the right in order to actuate the escapement a located beyond and to the right of the cam controlled actuators E These reeds are made somewhat thicker and stronger than ordinarily so that they will not be unduly weakened by the degree of bending required. Also, as best shown in Fig. 5, the bent or diagonal portion of every other reed D of the group D is offset in a forward edgewise direction so that its rear edge d will stand clear or" the forward edge (1 of the adjacent reed to the right. Likewise, the bent or diagonal portion of every other reed D of the group D is offset in a rearward edgewise direction so that its forward edge at will stand clear of the rear edge d of the adjacent reed to the right. The vertical end portions of all reeds of either group are, however, in transverse alignment and parallel, as usual, to cooperate with the keyboard actuators E at their lower ends and with the escapement levers D at their upper ends. As the reeds are thus constructed, and as illustrated in Fig. 6, when a nonofiset reed D or D is raised to release a matrix, its bent or diagonal portion will be free to move past the bent or diagonal portion of the adjacent offset reed to the left and thus avoid any interference between adjacent reeds notwithstanding their close spacing.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typographical composing machine, the combination of two superposed inclined magazines provided with escapements, a hinged throat section to cooperate with either magazine and carrying a single set of escapement actuating members common to both magazines, said members being mounted to turn about the hinge axis of the throat section, a single set of fore-and-aft substantially horizontal levers pivoted at their rear ends and having their forward ends arranged in constant engaging relation to the lower ends of the escapement actuating members, two sets of vertically disposed reeds arranged one behind the other and one for each magazine, the upper ends of the reeds of both sets being arranged in constant engaging relation to the foreand-aft pivoted levers at points between their opposite ends, a single set of vertically disposed key-controlled actuators arranged below the reeds for direct engagement therewith, a supporting frame wherein the two sets of reeds are slidably mounted both at their upper and lower ends, said frame being hinged at the top on opposite sides of the machine and arranged to turn about an axis located between the two sets of reeds and near the upper ends thereof whereby the lower ends of either set of reeds may be brought into direct engaging relation to the keycontrolled actuators without disturbing the constant engaging relation between the upper ends of the reeds and the fore-and-aft pivoted levers, and means for swinging the hinged throat section and the hinged reed supporting frame in unison to select either magazine for use.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the swinging means comprise a hand lever mounted at the front of the machine, and connections therefrom to both the hinged throat section and the hinged reed supportin frame.

3. The combination according to claim 2, including a counterbalancing weight connected to the hinged throat section for facilitating the operation of the hand lever.

4. The combination according to claim 3, including means for varying the force exerted by the counterbalancing weight.

5. The combination according to claim 1, including locking means cooperating with the hinged throat section to hold the parts in their different adjusted positions.

JOHN H. I-IILPMAN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,105,157 Pearce et a1. July 28, 1914 1,185,384 Druitt et a1 May 30, 1916 1,231,879 Guest July 3, 1917 1,542,774 Homans June 16, 1925 1,829,683 Sperry Oct. 27, 1931 2,090,028 Burt Aug. 17, 1937 2,144,431 Morrison Jan. 17, 1939 2,215,033 Fisher Sept. 17, 1940 2,399,999 Frolander May 7, 1946 

